JLC Blog, OTA Opinion

[Skinsinparadise]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/

Posted at 9:05 PM ET, 05/ 8/2007

No Surprises at OTAs When It Comes To The MIAs

Springs and Taylor not at the start of OTA practices today at Redskins Park. I am off this week and Howard is holding it down, but figured I'd post while I feed Rocco.

I heard over the weekend that Springs had no plans to come in this month. He's still thinking he'll get cut - and who can blame him after being asked to take a pay cut then being shopped around the league all offseason? - and from what I hear, he's content to keep working out in Arizona and see what happens with the Skins.

He's said all along that if they can guarantee they'll keep him around at his slated salary, then he'll be the happiest camper around. But with the way this offseason has played out, he figures he might as well keep doing his thing and wait and see what happens by the time mandatory mini camp starts. Stay tuned.

As for Taylor, well his past speaks for itself. I'll know more tomorrow and maybe it turns out to be an "excused" absence, but as of late tonight the coaches and scouts didn't know of an excuse if there was one (and if upper management knew why Taylor wasn't here, they hadn't told anybody). I am told Sean was around the facility for the start of the workout program 5-6 weeks back and looked great and sounded great and the thought in the organization was that everything was cool ... but the players think otherwise and are convinced that Taylor isn't going to be around for a while and their read on the situation is that he wants to get paid.

Again, we'll see what the official word is on all of this, but his peers - many of whom had not talked to Sean in a while - were not surprised by his absence and figured it was an indication of his contract.

Some people want to label me negative or whatever, but I speak the truth people and told you guys weeks ago that drafting Landry could cause big ripples for the resident hard-hitting safety, and that we'll see how well these two get along. Staying away from OTAs is the classic Rosenhaus move, yet he's the agent of choice in these parts. Go figure. Yet another in a long line of mysterious Ashburn phenomena.

Now, skipping OTAs is no major offense - although in Coach Joe's eyes it's a big deal - and he's not breaking any laws. But it's also a passive aggressive statement about his level of happiness with the organization, and for someone whose development stunted last year and needs to start playing up to the mythic reputation some have created for him, it's a bad move.

He, more than anyone else, needs to be in there studying, learning the new nuances and changes of this defense and getting a read on opponents. He is the poster boy for OTAs are for, and he's not there for the second time in three years. Getting arrested in Florida while skipping out in 2005 hasn't made a major change in his thinking, apparently, when it comes to spring football.

Maybe he needed an extra day or two to tend to personal business or whatever, in which case, it's understandable. But I also think if that's the case than more coaches and people in the facility would have already known about it and been prepared for it.

[smitty71]

ST not showing will not help him if he is looking for a bigger contract. We all know how Gibbs feels about OTA's.

[MurrayH81]

I think that we should wait for the official word from the organization.

If he continues to not show up, there will be one. If he is in sometime this week, I doubt anything will be said.

Let's just hope and wait for the return of the Redskins teams that we all want to see.

/hail:helmet:

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

ugg, taylor is the last player we want to lose.

[McMetal]

Sigh...screw you, JLC. Just screw you, you rotten miserable ****.

Speak the truth?

"Drafting Landry could cause big ripples for the resident hard-hitting safety"

How does that qualify as a truth? Because it MIGHT be true?

If I say "JLC could be fired because he is a caustic, sloppy malcontent who hides behind vague unnamed sources" does that count as true?

Let's hope so.

Somebody please kick this supreme douchebag in the nuts for the sake of human decency.

[mistertim]

ugg, taylor is the last player we want to lose.

Man. Tell me about it. That would be bad news. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a contractual thing. He has always been a bit peeved about his contract and if Landry comes in and gets a giant one, that won't go over well. That would be 2 years in a row they bring in a super high price guy and passed ST over for a contractual raise. And what about Cooley? :doh:

[ibrahim]

Sigh...screw you, JLC. Just screw you, you rotten miserable ****.

Speak the truth?

"Drafting Landry could cause big ripples for the resident hard-hitting safety"

How does that qualify as a truth? Because it MIGHT be true?

If I say "JLC could be fired because he is a caustic, sloppy malcontent who hides behind vague unnamed sources" does that count as true?

Let's hope so.

Somebody please kick this supreme douchebag in the nuts for the sake of human decency.

Wow, easy dude, Its not that serious.

[SonnyJ]

I don't understand any logic about ST being unhappy about Landry's impending payday.

He himself was the fifth pick in the draft and got paid as such. Landry is going to be getting paid as the sixth pick in the draft and will be paid as such. It has absolutely no reflection on relative value or worth or ability. It's just the pay system of the league. Taylor benefited from it, now Landry will.

I don't get the issue, if there is one. :confused:

[whatmeworry]

I really don't there will be a problem between Landry and ST. They seem to be in the same mold personality-wise. It might even help ST get over us losing Clark. But we need to lock him and Cooley up. The sooner the better. i'm assuming the FO has enough sense to do that.

[Art]

The one constant of the idiotic negative crowd is their endless need to tell everyone else they are just speaking the truth and keeping it real. It's actually a remarkably funny thing to behold. And, once again, Jason shows his complete inability to understand football in any way. His statement, "Now, skipping OTAs is no major offense ..." reveals his own thoughts as HE is skipping them himself, but, bear no reflection on the actual importance of missing these workouts.

Jason even seems to understand Gibbs thinks these things are important, yet, can't let that sway his truthful impression it isn't. You see, Jason covers sports, but doesn't GET sports. He doesn't get team. If Taylor is missing OTAs for an unknown reason, voluntary or not, it's a big deal on many levels. Gibbs made a deal with the leaders of the team to give them more freedom. Those leaders had to bring the concerns of the team to him, and they took back Gibbs' answer.

Missing out in an unexpected, uncommunicated way -- should that be the case here -- is a very major issue because Taylor will not be showing respect to the leaders who went to bat for the welfare of every player, instead doing his own thing. OTAs are important this year more than in the past because of the freedom up to this point. It's Taylor betraying the leaders of his team and the team itself.

It's important for him to show up unless he worked out why he couldn't. Now, Taylor gets special treatment by the organization. And, these are voluntary workouts, so, they can't punish him. But, he can arrive at camp again on the bench working his way back into the lineup. He's good enough that won't take long, but, anyone who understands team dynamics knows if he's blowing this off -- and we don't know that's the case -- it's a big deal.

But, I should be careful. I don't want to tell you I'm just telling the truth or anything.

[Bounce]

I don't understand any logic about ST being unhappy about Landry's impending payday.

He himself was the fifth pick in the draft and got paid as such. Landry is going to be getting paid as the sixth pick in the draft and will be paid as such. It has absolutely no reflection on relative value or worth or ability. It's just the pay system of the league. Taylor benefited from it, now Landry will.

I don't get the issue, if there is one. :confused:

Same reason Tony Gonzalez wanted a new contract after Vernon Davis was drafted and became the highest-paid tight end in the league before ever playing a snap. Taylor feels that some rookie who's never played in an NFL jersey before shouldn't be making more than him, and I can't say I completely disagree.

[Dirk Diggler]

I don't understand any logic about ST being unhappy about Landry's impending payday.

He himself was the fifth pick in the draft and got paid as such. Landry is going to be getting paid as the sixth pick in the draft and will be paid as such. It has absolutely no reflection on relative value or worth or ability. It's just the pay system of the league. Taylor benefited from it, now Landry will.

I don't get the issue, if there is one. :confused:

Yup. Not to mention the kid has 3 or 4 more years left on his contract. But let's wait and see how this plays out.

[Dirk Diggler]

Same reason Tony Gonzalez wanted a new contract after Vernon Davis was drafted and became the highest-paid tight end in the league before ever playing a snap. Taylor feels that some rookie who's never played in an NFL jersey before shouldn't be making more than him, and I can't say I completely disagree.

Wasnt Taylor made to be the highest paid safety in the league (or damn close) when he came out in 2004? Seems he benefitted quite well from the injustice of the draft back then. Is Taylor even halfway through his rookie contract? Tell me the last time a team tore up a contract of a player drafted in the top 10 after 3 years? Doesn't happen. Know why? Because they WERE taken care of from the get go, unlike players who fall out of the first round and end up playing like a pro bowler while getting paid like an average starter. Those players have a legit gripe.

[The Sisko]

Wow, easy dude, Its not that serious.

He can't help it Ibrahim, it's an unconscious reflex action. Just more of the typical knee-jerk response for the kool-aide crowd. Anything even remotely negative said about the team automatically equals a vast anti-Redskin conspiracy or is at best interpreted as unimaginable incompetence...be it true or otherwise.

"What, you mean they wrote that the team isn't very good just because we only won 5 games? Morons! They always seem to be hatin' on the Skins." :doh:

[number twenty-eight]

Knowing this is a minority opinion, and reserving a ration of skepticism for this particular blog, I think Taylor's problems are all in the area above the neck. I hope he gets that worked out, because he's a special talent.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Every offseason its the same damn drama with ST

Cut the crap dude. Show up, study and be ready to go and see what your pay day will be in the end

I don't understand why this guy just can't get in here and do his damn job to the best of his ability

[Siven]

Guys, Taylor wants to get paid for 2 reasons

1. He made the pro bowl, albeit he might not have had the most pro bowl worthy season, he made it.

2. Landry got drafted at 6, and while Taylor was drafted at 5, Taylor has an 8 year deal. Now also, every year, there is inflation, and say the 5th pick of 2004 had a guranteed 12 mill, the 2007 5th pick will get 16 mill guranteed. See ST's gripe?

[willmb5]

why cant every player on the team be more like chris cooley. god i love that guy (man crush)

[ashsra]

We'll see how this thing plays out. If he misses the whole week, then the team will have to give a statement to the media regarding where he is. For some reason I don't think he'll hold out, Rosenhaus has a good relationship with Snyder and I don't think he'll risk that considering he knows Dan will always help drive up the price of players. Plus Rosenhaus knows ST didn't have the greatest year last year and he knows it's better to hold out after a stellar season. Sean won't be happy, but he'll show up and he'll eventually get paid. The Dan and Gibbs know they would have a fan revolt on their hands if they let Cooley and Taylor go.

[Gregpeck99]

I've said it before ... and I'll say it again. ST is a time bomb waiting to explode.

[TheLongshot]

There seems to be a short memory here. Remember that Taylor fired his agent and hired Rosenhaus because he felt like his deal was undervalued when he was drafted. So, not only is Landry going to get a better deal because of inflation, it may also be better because Taylor signed a below value deal. (At least in his mind)

Some of this could also be Rosenhaus as well, because he really hasn't gotten much value out of Taylor yet, since he hasn't done a contract for him. It is in Rosenhaus' best interest to get a new deal done for his guy.

To be honest, at this point I'm not bothered by this. It is early and a lot can happen. He did the same thing in 2005 and as long as he isn't hunting down thieves, I do think he will be back. If you want a new deal, you are going to have to talk to someone about it.

Even if the worst happens and he holds out, Taylor doesn't really hold much leverage. On one side we have drafted a stud guy. On the other, we have experienced veterans that, while not as talented as Taylor, can probably hold down the fort.

As I say, tho, it is too early to talk about that. Right now, he's still following the letter of the law, if not the spirit.

Jason

[glikster04]

why can't there be more insightful responses like Art's? what he said is completely true. the point is that JLC doesn't know crap about football. further - we, as redskins fans, let him get under our skin about information that we dont even know is true. until he sites a source, i will continue to take everything he says as a grain of salt, just like my fellow fan's opinions. he has no inside sight that we dont have. he merely repeats what we as fans say.

so relax, have a beer, and wait for the season )

[jivelikenice]

I've said it before ... and I'll say it again. ST is a time bomb waiting to explode.

He hasn't gotten in trouble since the offseason following his rookie season...What do you know to support this?? ST has stayed out of trouble since his initial run ins with the law yet people still view him as a ticking time bomb....Ridiculous....

And this is just speculation on my part but look at it this way...ST came to every OTA last year and had peobably his worst season....Maybe for him to perform to his capabilities he needs time away in the offseason....Everyone has their own way of preparing themselves....You should not expect for every player to follow the same program...People don't work like that....

Let's wait til mini-camp before we panic and overreact...

[jivelikenice]

I usually don't think JLC is doing a bad job BUT in this case he absolutely is off base. Why would ST have a potential problem worth watching with Landry over his contract if that same problem never materialized with AA....Correct me if I'm wrong but AA was the highest paid safety in the league and did he and Sean have any problems? There were none reported so if ST had no issues with AA, then why would he have issues with Landry? Can someone explain that?

[ncr2h]

OFF-TOPIC BUT HIGHLY NECESSARY:

Did JLC take a **** on some of your guys' chests or something? I mean...I feel like this thread exposed a couple of you guys as pure haters, incapable of reading something without throwing a hissy fit. McMetal and Art, I'm looking at you two.

The dude just wrote a blog about how the word on the street is that Springs is staying in Arizona because he thinks he'll be on a different team in a couple of months, and Taylor is MIA most likely because he wants to renegotiate his contract.

You guys act like he just wrote Mein Kampf.

Art, honestly I think it's getting to the point where you have lost all reason. To you, anything JLC says is stupid (even though the point you made about the importace of OTAs is pretty much the same thing JLC says in the third- and second-to-last pgphs). You will disagree with anything he says and make personal insults no matter what the guy says. Why do you even bother posting in JLC-blog threads? We already know what you're going to say before you even say it: You'll start off by needlessly bashing JLC a little bit, then you'll tell everyone how you disagree, then you will make some argument that ibasically says "the coaches know more about football than JLC, so why is he disagreeing with them?", then you'll finish up with some over-the-top JLC jabs.

Take a chillpill guys. Relax.